Draining the Swamp with the Gospel

Sometimes pastors want to drain the swamp to get rid of their “alligators;” members they consider pesky or even vicious. However, after getting to the bottom of the swamp they find that there is nothing left alive. The pastor creates a tiny fiefdom, even if he becomes the head (and only) toad. It is all well and good to seek to purify the church, but the Lord does [not] permit us to purify it on legalistic grounds. Thomas Müntzer already tried it with tragic results. There can only be reformation in teaching, which will lead to reformation in morals. Only as we teach the “alligators” will they change their attitude. Only the gospel can change the swamp, turning it into the Garden of Eden, where Christ is all in all and is serving His people with His Word. The law way can never suffice, because it only multiplies the alligators, causing them to turn on one another and devour each other.